She faced me squarely. “I don’t look back and you shouldn’t either. I told Jack, ‘You can’t go back and change your past. Move on and just accept it.’ ”
I looked back at her. “Barbara, I shut that door a long time ago.”
Chapter 42
Two Of A Kind
The overhead bell on the door rang. A few minutes later, after making a couple of minor adjustments, I came out of the back room, not very surprised by my two visitors. I knew it wouldn’t take them long to eventually make their way over to see me. I crossed the shop floor casually, taking my time. “Welcome to my shop, ladies. Well, what do you think?”
They were both very enthusiastic. “Samantha, what a charming place!” Betty remarked, as Hazel walked around, taking in everything.
“Thank you,” I replied. “I’ve worked very hard to get it just the way I like it.”
“Well, it certainly shows,” offered Hazel, admiringly.
“Would the two of you like some tea and cookies?” I suggested. “I believe it’s my turn to reciprocate your generous hospitality.”
“To tell you the truth, we were hoping you would ask,” laughed Betty.
“Just follow me,” I gestured. “We can sit it in the back, facing the gardens.”
When they entered the small back room facing the rear gardens, there was an audible gasp from Hazel. In front of the garden window was a tea table already set for three. I turned to face them. “Please, have a seat and I’ll pour us some tea.”
After everyone was comfortably seated, Betty spoke up first. “How did you know about us ahead of time? Psychic abilities? Your table was already set for three.”
I motioned toward the corner. “My new video security system comes in handy. You never quite know who will steal something from your shop nowadays.
Betty and Hazel exchanged looks and burst out laughing. “Oh, Samantha. You know, we saw you take the computer, don’t you? By the way, you were a dreadful thief. I suggest you keep your day job.”
I shrugged my shoulders, and then laughed myself. “I figured you two saw me. It dawned on me by the time I got back to my shop. Those were the longest two blocks of my life. I was a nervous wreck. I know it was a stupid spur-of-the-moment thing to do, but I was positive it was Stephen’s laptop.”
“It was,” said Hazel.
“Don’t feel bad, Samantha,” said Betty. “We almost botched stealing it from the auction.” She turned toward Hazel. “You know, Hazel, next time I suggest we use someone other than your nephew. That was not what I call a discreet theft. I heard there were so many police and firemen there, you could have had a parade.”
“I told you he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but that was why we used him, remember?” Hazel shot back.
“Yes, that’s true enough, I guess,” said Betty.
I sat there in amazement. These two were bantering back and forth as though this was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was. The women in this town amazed me. Obviously, I had a lot to learn here. “You knew I stole the laptop and did nothing?”
“Of course!” replied Hazel. “Why do you think we let you see the delivery and where it was stashed?” She turned to Betty. “That is the correct lingo, right?”
“Yes, I believe so. Stashed was an excellent choice.”
I sat there like I was watching a B-grade movie and, somehow, I had become part of it. “So, you two wanted me to take the computer?”
“That’s right,” said Betty, nodding. “We couldn’t gain access to it, even after replacing the cord and charging it. We were going to hire someone to come in and hack into it, but you showed up on our doorstep and we changed our plans, figuring you might have the access code and save us all a lot of time and money, considering the questions we might get from whoever we decided to hire.”
“There was only one problem with your plan,” I said.
“What was that?” Betty asked.
“Someone stole it from me when I was at the diner with Clay an hour later.”
Hazel slumped in her chair. “Yes, we know.”
“How did you know?” I asked.
“Clay,” replied Hazel. “The plumbing excuse was so lame, right, Betty?”
“Ah!” I said. My mind was spinning. I felt as though I was caught up in some great conspiracy. But that was ludicrous.
Or was it?
“You mean Clay wasn’t in on the theft from my shop?” I asked. “I thought he was a decoy to draw me away, so you two could steal it back.”
“We wish. We needed you to crack the code. You did have the password didn’t you?” Betty asked, hopefully.
“No. Unfortunately, I didn’t. Stephen was tight-lipped and secretive about everything, including both of his computers. He shared nothing of that nature with me.”
“You mean he had another computer?” Betty asked excitedly. “Where?”
“At the house,” I said. “But don’t get your hopes up. The hard drive was stolen from that one months ago.” Something dawned on me that was disturbing. “By the way, why were you two so interested in Stephen’s laptop?”
Betty and Hazel traded a fleeting glance.
“Well, if you must know,” said Hazel, “we were trying to figure out what disturbed Stephen so much just before his untimely death. It was Jenny’s dying wish to find out whatever we could to put to rest all those rumors about his odd behavior.”
“Oh. …So when I showed up, you two took advantage of a great opportunity, hoping I would inadvertently help you with your mission.”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it exactly like that,” admitted Betty, “but you were a gift that dropped right into our laps. So we helped things along when we saw you were obviously looking in the same direction. You were asking questions we couldn’t ask, at least not without causing undue suspicion.”
“I guess I was, wasn’t I?” I said, reluctantly. How could I be upset? They intentionally tried to help, by letting me steal back the laptop. Unfortunately someone else now had it, but who? “What a mess,” I reflected out loud.
“You can say that again,” replied Hazel, sympathetically.
“Well, we better go and close up the book store,” said Betty, sipping the last of her tea. “Clay is out of town, so it’s up to us. Samantha, it has certainly been interesting. We must get together again and real soon. Maybe we can come up with something between the three of us.”
Hazel stood up as well, and picked up her purse and coat.
“Yes, we might come up with some solution,” I said, as I escorted them to the door. “Thanks for stopping by.”
I switched the sign to read closed and leaned heavily against the door, thinking. There was something that was bothering me, but I couldn’t nail down what it was. I started to put things away to get ready to leave myself. As I moved around, closing up, I absentmindedly did some mental calculations. I suddenly spun around and stared at the entrance, laughing out loud.
“Why those two old cons! Stephen died after Jenny had died.”
I had been duped again.
Chapter 43
Sparring Partner
Clay glanced around in admiration as I ticked off my upgraded improvements since that disastrous ice storm. Then he stood quietly, regarding me. “Okay, now what furniture do you need me to help move? Frankly, I wouldn’t touch a thing. It looks great just the way it is.”
Obviously, he had misunderstood my unexpected invitation. I looked at him in confusion.
“What are you talking about?”
We were still standing in my kitchen.
“That’s why you invited me to your home this evening, right?”
I gestured around the corner to where a candlelit table was set for dinner, alongside a blazing fire. Wine was chilling in an ice bucket on a stand nearby. “I invited you to dinner, Clay.”
He turned back to me, still doubtful. “Well…let’s move whatever needs moving first. As you already know, I’ve had plenty of practice.”
�
�Nothing needs moving. Can’t a friend invite another friend over for a quiet evening dinner? I swear there are no ulterior motives involved here.” I tried to sound credible and sincere. A pleasant dinner might make him more at ease and talkative. Of course, the expensive wine I purchased might help loosen his tongue.
I wanted to pick this guy clean about those two old biddies, or as Martha referred to them, alley cats. I was still smarting after falling for their… What was the word I was looking for? Oh yeah, shell game. Let’s see, where could the laptop be now?
I smiled innocently. “You are reading more into my invitation than its original intention.”
He finally relaxed, rubbed his hands together, and smiled. “Well, in that case, let’s eat.”
“Clay, why don’t you pour the wine while I get dinner served, okay?”
“Sure. By the way, I heard two visitors came to see you yesterday. I hope they didn’t bother you too much. They can get carried away sometimes with their prolific imaginations, getting into all sorts of…let’s say …situations.”
I tried to keep a straight face as I placed our plates on the table. “Oh, those sweet old ladies? Why they’re no bother at all. They are two of the most intriguing women I have met it town.”
He poured the wine. “Are we talking about the same two women? You know, their names are Betty and Hazel: the ones I usually refer to as the dreaded twosome?”
I tried not to laugh and adjusted the logs in the fireplace before sitting down at the table.
“Oh, I think you’re being too hard on them. They probably enjoy being around people and getting involved in their lives, that’s all.”
“Hey, this duck with orange sauce is terrific,” moaned Clay, as he scooped up more.
“Why thank you. I enjoy cooking. It relaxes me when I’m stressed out.”
He stopped eating. “Okay, now I get it. They said something that upset you, and now you want to pry out of me: like why they’re so interested in you. Am I right?”
This conversation was traveling directly toward its destination faster than I would have predicted, so much for my subterfuge and subtlety. “Well, I was intrigued by the little detail that Jenny was concerned about something to do with Stephen’s crash, if that’s what you mean.” I poured us more wine. “The two of them made her a so-called death-bed promise that they would investigate Stephen’s accident.”
Clay set his fork down. “You’re joking, right? Tell me they didn’t go that far!”
“Yes, they sure did, except there was one thing wrong with that particular request. If my math is correct, and it usually is, Jenny died before Stephen did. I looked at him squarely. “Do you think she made the request from the grave?”
“Oh, come on, Sam. Do you think there’s some kind of great conspiracy going on here?”
“I’m beginning to wonder.”
“Look, they probably heard around town that you are asking a lot of questions about Stephen’s background and his death. Their imaginations run wild sometimes and they most likely got it into their heads that they could come up with something that might solve whatever you’re looking for. The two of them are unpredictable and quite resourceful. They were very fond of Stephen. Remember, they nurtured him for years over in that bookstore.”
“But you’re missing my point.”
“And that is?” he asked, leaning in.
I figured I might as well be blunt. “The infamous laptop.”
Clay drew back, serious, but guarded. “Oh, that.”
“Yes, that. And you know exactly what laptop I’m referring to: the one from the auction that you were ogling over my shoulder. You weren’t very subtle about it. It was Stephen’s.”
“What makes you so sure it was Stephen’s?”
“Because it was. And it was stolen that night, as you very well know. Then, guess what? Surprise! Surprise! It conveniently ended up in your store, of all places.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Now, don’t tell me you didn’t know anything about that.”
“Why are you so sure it was Stephen’s?” he asked, dodging my last statement.
“Because I stole it from your store after recognizing his initial markings on the inside.”
“When was this?”
“The day you came to the shop and whisked me out to the diner. Remember Martha showed up with the plumbing emergency?”
“Yes. I remember. What about it?”
“Well, my shop had been broken into and the laptop was stolen from me, minutes after I had gotten my hands on it from your bookstore.”
“Was Martha in on this?” he asked. “Did she know you had the laptop?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. She knew we were broken into, but since I was acting so strangely that morning, then claiming nothing was stolen, she could have.”
“Why would she suspect something wasn’t right?”
“Shortly after that, she told me she saw me sneak away with something from the bookstore under my coat that afternoon, just before she was due to come into work.”
“Did you tell her it was the laptop?”
“No, of course not. I claimed it was some old letters of Stephen’s I had found in the back of your store while having tea with Betty and Hazel. She knew I was distracted, searching for information about Stephen. So, I admitted to stealing out of desperation.”
“Do you think she bought your story?”
“I don’t think so. She knew something wasn’t right, but warned me anyway.”
“Warned you about what?”
“She claimed she didn’t want me getting hurt.”
“What did she mean?”
“I’m not sure, but she was concerned. At this point, I don’t know if she meant emotionally or physically hurt.”
“I think you might be overstating things a bit. I’m sure she was just reacting to your odd behavior that day. I wouldn’t read too much into it.”
“Maybe, I don’t know.” I took a deep breath. “Were you aware Hazel and Betty had someone steal that laptop?”
He waited a beat. “…No.”
“What about it being stolen from my shop? Were you a decoy to get me out of there so it could be stolen from me?”
“Sam, I didn’t know anything about it then,” he answered carefully.
“What do you mean then? What about now?”
“To be truthful? I figured something was up between the two of them. They were as nervous as two chickens watching out for a fox,” he reluctantly admitted.
“And the fox was?” I asked, patiently.
It was like pulling teeth with this guy.
“I don’t know, but whoever it was had to be at that auction. Hazel and Betty finally confessed to me, and then explained your escapades. I put two and two together.”
“Yeah, I know, and came up with four.”
“Look, I don’t know why all of you want that laptop, but stop this digging around. It’s not exactly a warning, but you need to stay away from allegations you can’t verify.”
“Why should I, when all this verbal combat is so much more challenging and informative?”
Chapter 44
Filling Tanks And Blanks
I swiped my card in the machine, punched in the numbers, and started filling the gas tank on Martha’s car, still feeling awkward about its use. She said she understood my reluctance, but insisted I drive it until I was on my feet financially, well aware the repairs after that ice storm were more expensive than I had anticipated.
“Hello there, Samantha.”
I turned. “Hi, Ben.”
“How are things going? Charm anyone else lately with your detailed exposés from the past?” he asked with a sarcastic edge.
“Ouch! I deserved that,” I replied self-consciously. “I was sort of pushy, wasn’t I?”
“…Oh, forget it, water off a duck’s back. I’ve had worse tossed at me. I’ve learned to develop a tough skin and probably deserved half of what was said
about me over the years. I wasn’t guiltless, I admit, but I’d like to think I’ve matured with time.”
“Maybe you have. I really do appreciate you being so straightforward with me. You didn’t have to share anything, you know. I was just curious.”
“I have to hand it to you, Samantha. You’ve really changed. You’re not that docile, quiet wife of Stephen’s anymore, the one who always stood off to the side.”
“I don’t think I had any other option, Ben. He’s dead, remember?”
“Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant, you say what you think now, and are so different from the way you were when Stephen was around. You’ve become more aggressive and forceful in what you want and expect. I meant it as a compliment. You just caught me off guard when you saw me last time, that’s all.”
“Sorry. I’m just totally frustrated and upset.”
“Why? Was it something I said? I can be quite obnoxious.”
I laughed. “No. I just feel like I’m being spoon-fed all these half-truths regarding Stephen and his past.”
He looked at me intently. “Maybe you wouldn’t want to hear the whole truth, even when it’s finally out in the open. Are you sure you want to find out?”
An odd sensation traveled through me when he said that. My palms turned clammy and I swiped them on my slacks. “…Find out what?”
“Exactly what are you looking for? Why the obsession, Sam?”
“What was the reason for his abrupt departure? Why did Stephen leave Jack after all those years?”
“What was his behavior like with you just before he died?” asked Ben.
“He seemed very upset. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was trying to tell me.” I stopped, not sure I should offer anything more.
“That doesn’t sound like the Stephen I knew,” said Ben, surprised. “He was always so self-assured, knowing exactly what he was doing and where he was going. What did the others have to say about it?”
The Puzzle Page 16